1994  The Story of Anna Bakhita (photos may distress some viewers, especially children)
(with links to 2003 doctors' re-union and 2004 burial of ashes)

　Next to the boy, also in smelly rags, was a leper, missing a hand and with severely infected eyes. I thought he and his son must be some of the millions of poor farmers who have flocked to China's prosperous coastal cities looking for work, only to be reduced to begging to stay alive. Some are bogus - professional beggars - but most are genuine. Thousands can be seen every day in the square outside Guangzhou railway station, where several die each month. The Government tries to stop them invading the cities, but throughout history in every country poor people have migrated to seek a better life.

Wednesday April 6: I went back to see if the boy was still there. He was, and closer to death. Skin and bone, badly dehydrated, unable to eat or drink and in great pain. I asked his father if he'd let me take them to a doctor. He agreed. The nearest hospital was only 500 metres away and I went there for help.
The nurses and doctors didn't want to break the law by looking after someone from another place - the invading peasants get little sympathy in the cities. They eventually agreed to see the child, but "no ambulance available". Nor was anyone else, not even some out-of-work men to whom I offered money to carry the child. As soon as the men saw the boy they moved away in fright. But I needed help because it would not have looked good for me, a foreigner, to carry the boy by myself.

At last a helper was found. He carried the boy's body, I supported the head which seemed barely attached. We had no trouble making our way - the smell and sight were as good as a siren. At the hospital the boy lay on a stretcher for more than an hour before anyone looked at him. I gave the father some money to pay the bill and had to leave - for a train about to go to Hong Kong. I told the father and the hospital staff that, providentially, I was due to return to Guangzhou in two days and would check on the child.

Friday April 8: On return I found no trace of the child. No record at any desk. No name on any floor. Back outside I found the father on another busy footpath, and then I saw the child, back on the pile of rags, being used for begging.
"They wouldn't admit him", said the father. "The father took him away" said the hospital.
About 10km away was another hospital that might help. The trip was made on the back of a small taxi truck. We reached Hon Ling Hospital about 6pm and a most sympathetic young doctor immediately examined the boy. The "father"  left. I never saw him again.
"It's a girl" said the doctor  with surprise. "She's close to death. She's physically handicapped, probably a man-made job for begging purposes. She's deaf, unable to speak". Later the doctor would also report that she had been raped and possibly was only 10 years old.

Sunday April 10: Needing to repay the policeman's Y2,000, I told Anna's story at the 8am Mass at Notre Dame parish in Hong Kong. After Mass, a small army of the kind of people who make life worth living, some of them pensioners, some of them teenagers using pocket money - and including one of the altar servers - discreetly slipped dollar bills into my hand.
To avoid forcing anyone to give, I stood at the back of the church instead of at the front door where I normally farewelled people. These kind donors had to seek me out. They gave HK$5,000. It was used to repay the policeman and to cover Anna's hospital bill of about Y130 a day.

Wednesday April 27: I returned to Guangzhou with Oblate Fr John Chai and Notre Dame secretary Daisy. We were warmly welcomed at the hospital. Anna was still on drips, conscious and gradually gaining a little strength. But her life remained in the balance because her heart, kidneys, liver, respiration and skin were all in terrible condition. The genuine love and concern shown Anna by the nurses and doctors again made me want to thank them some way, some day.

Two Hong Kong friends who work with the deaf community - American Fr Charlie Dittmeier and Canossian Sr Theresa Chien - arranged for Anna to enter a special school for the deaf in Guangzhou. They also proposed inviting a Hong Kong hospital to offer a partnership plan to the Guangzhou hospital.

Friday May 6: Sr Theresa and Fr Lancelot (Caritas, Macau) traveled to Guangzhou and brought Anna presents from Sister's deaf students. Anna quickly became attached to one particular large doll - and a large heart signed by many children. Sr Theresa also invited HK Caritas Hospital Administrator Sr Catherine Wu to visit Anna, and a trip was arranged for May 18 for Sr Catherine, Fr Charlie, Daisy and me.
Sr Theresa expanded Anna's name to Anna Bakhita, in honour of the African girl who was sold into slavery, became a Canossian sister and recently was beatified by Pope John Paul. "Bakhita" means "fortunate" - both girls escaped slavery. (Update: Sr Bakhita was canonized on October 1, 2000)

Sunday May 15: On this Feast of the Ascension, God in his wisdom and love called Anna Bakhita home to Heaven. Her broken body was no longer able to function, even after being resuscitated by two of Guangzhou's leading physicians whom the hospital enlisted to help Anna. Sadness and disappointment were felt in Guangzhou, Macau and Hong Kong. But there was also a sense of peace in that Anna Bakhita had, in the spirit of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, received great love in her last weeks on this earth.

Involvement with Anna had been a most moving experience from which much good had come, not least being an invitation for doctors and nurses from the Guangzhou hospital to go to Hong Kong for extra training and experience.

Wednesay May 18: Our trip went ahead as planned ...and we, together with some hospital staff (and no-one else)  had the sad yet peaceful privilege of arranging and attending Anna's funeral service

To show my gratitude to the young doctor and policeman, I invited them to join a Notre Dame pilgrimage to Australia in December 1994. The policeman was unable to go, but the young doctor and his superior took part in the tour...and then stayed an extra 2 week's at Brisbane's Mater Hospital for further experience sharing. Kind friends in Australia and Hong Kong raised funds to pay for their traveling.

Thank you, Lord, for this whole story, especially for providing so many kind helpers. 
Blessed Anna Bakhita ...and Little Anna Bakhita...pray for us!　

Unknown to me, the young doctor had a reporter friend...who wrote up Anna's story in the Guangzhou "Night Orient", front page, 1994-04-14,  describing how Fr Wu, the hospital staff and policeman helped the child  April 24, 2003:  re-union with doctors April 5, 2004:  the burial in Zhaoqing of Anna Bakhita's ashes (including September 23 photo of new gravestone)